Chapter 231: Chapter 231: Greed
This stove not only had a large heating area but could also be moved around. It didnât require carefully chosen charcoal and could even burn firewood directly, making it very convenient.
âSister, your stove is really good.â
âYouâre not thinking of selling this kind of stove, are you?â She clearly saw the surprise in Gu Qingpingâs eyes.
This stove was made by Xiao Yunjing with iron plates he had found with great difficulty.
The weather here was freezing cold. Without a stove, the room would be as cold as an ice cellar.
Gu Qingping nodded, got up, and took a look around the iron stove.
The Gu Family also has shops and businesses; otherwise, Gu Xichengâs meager official salary wouldnât be enough to support the entire Senior Grand Secretaryâs household. Which prominent family doesnât have its own enterprises? Moreover, the major businesses are essentially controlled by these influential families, with commoners holding less than ten percent. And these prominent families have plenty of silver; this stove would be perfect to sell to the wealthy. The only issue is that iron is a controlled material, so Iâd need to find a substitute.
He mentally reviewed several materials but rejected them all.
Looks like Iâll have to give it more thought when I get back.
Meanwhile, Ms. Li was also surveying the room. She hadnât had a chance to look closely yesterday, but todayâs inspection left her astounded.
One wouldnât have guessed it of this younger sister, but all the furnishings in the room were of the highest quality. The chair Iâm sitting on, this Eight Immortals table, and that wardrobeâall made of golden nanmu wood! No wonder there was such a pleasant fragrance upon entering the room. Although Iâve never seen these specific items before, being from the Capital City, Iâm not entirely ignorant. Just from the woodâs color, those golden patterns, and this scent, itâs clear. How wonderful it would be if I had a set of furniture like this in my room too!
As she continued to look, a hint of greed couldnât help but flicker in her eyes.
Gu Qingli glanced at her.
How could the greed in those eyes escape my notice?
She didnât disturb Ms. Li, letting her look her fill.
It was just that she thoroughly disapproved of this Ms. Li.
When Gu Qingping and Ms. Su saw these things, they didnât react this way.
Indeed, the furniture in her room was all golden nanmu. Some of it Xiao Yunjing had acquired back when he was in Qiyang County, and the rest was loot from Dean Linâs house.
There was enough to assemble three or four complete sets of furniture, with wood to spare.
Gu Qingli never scrimped on her own food, clothing, or daily necessities; as soon as she had these pieces, she had them put in place.
Not long after Wuqing went out, she returned with tea and some pastries. She set them on the table and then poured tea for Gu Qingping and his wife.
Gu Qingliâs cup contained only plain hot water.
âHmm?â Gu Qingping smelled the fragrant tea and sat back down, his eyes glued to the teacup on the table.
The tea in the cup exuded a rich aroma, with small tea leaves, each the size of a willow leaf tip, drifting and bobbing within. He watched them for a moment, then took a sip. His eyes lit up, and he proceeded to finish the entire cup.
As the tea went down his throat, it carried a natural fragrance and a hint of sweetness, unlike ordinary tea that is first bitter and then mellow.
His mind also seemed to clear in an instant.
Furthermore, a warm current spread through his limbs and torso, dispelling all the fatigue from their recent journey and leaving him feeling thoroughly refreshed and invigorated.
His whole body felt suffused with energy.
This is truly fine tea! How can such good tea exist in this world? If it were sold, it would easily be worth a fortune!
Immediately, he looked at Gu Qingli, his eyes shining, âSister, this tea is excellent! Where did you get it? Iâll go get some too, bring it back, and sell it.â
âAre you abandoning your studies for commerce?â Gu Qingli asked, surprised.
This newfound elder brother of mine really seems to enjoy business. He was just interested in the stove, and now heâs taken an interest in the tea as well.
âOf course not,â Gu Qingping replied. âI was just thinking that I have a few shops, and one of them happens to be a tea shop. If we can get such excellent tea to sell, it will definitely be very profitable.â
As the saying goes, one doesnât know the cost of firewood and rice until one manages a household. Since taking over the few shops my mother entrusted to me and reviewing the ledgers last month, Iâve finally started to understand a bit about business. Iâm married now, and itâs time I shouldered my responsibilities. As for balancing business and studies, I donât see them as conflicting. Giving up my studies is out of the question; Iâm bound to enter officialdom sooner or later. But I canât neglect business either. Iâve discovered I quite enjoy it. If I werenât the legitimate son and thus obligated to pursue an official career, I would definitely choose to be a merchant. Business also requires knowledge and a sharp mind. Logically, the family shops could have been entirely managed by Ms. Li. But I discovered she has the brains of a pig. Itâs not that sheâs completely unlettered, but her mind and eyes are never on proper matters. All day long, she only thinks about how to live extravagantly or stares covetously at the familyâs possessions. I had initially thought that since Ms. Liâs father is a Master at the Imperial Academy, his children would be intelligent. However, after marrying her, I found that wasnât the case at all. Not only is she shallow, but sheâs also greedy. I saw the look in her eyes earlier when she was looking at Sisterâs things. Coveting from oneâs parents might be somewhat excusable, but to extend that greed to my sister is simply preposterous.
Gu Qingli observed Gu Qingpingâs expression; he seemed frank and sincere.
He genuinely wants to do this business. It wouldnât be a problem to let him sell these tea leaves. They come from my Space. Itâs not just plain tea leaves; I added a few types of medicinal herbs, and Wuyou roasted them. However, the yield isnât high. I have about ten jin in the Space. I could give him some to sell for now. There are many wealthy people in the Capital City, so it should sell well. But if Iâm to supply Gu Qingping in the long term, Iâll need to find more tea trees to plant in the Space. The few I have there now are far from enough.
So, she said, âI cultivated these tea leaves myself, but the yield isnât high. I can let you sell them, but how should we structure our cooperation?â
Even blood brothers should settle accounts clearly. Since thereâs interest in partnering up to sell it, the terms must be clear. If I really wanted to sell these tea leaves, I could just open my own shop. But since Gu Qingping has brought it up, I donât mind partnering with him. Let him earn a little something.
When Gu Qingping saw she was amenable, he was overjoyed. He said, âThese tea leaves could sell for a thousand taels per jin, no problem. Sister, look, how about this for cooperation? The tea leaves are yours. We sell them in the shop. Regardless of how much silver they fetch, we split it eighty-twentyâyou get eighty percent, I get twenty.â
âA thousand taels of silver per jin?â Gu Qingliâs eyes lit up.
These tea leaves are that valuable? Iâm quite surprised. In that case, this business is a must!
âYes,â Gu Qingping affirmed. âAnd thatâs a conservative estimate. Weâll only know the exact selling price once theyâre actually sold. What do you think, Sister?â
âHusband, isnât twenty percent a bit too little for us? Weâre providing the shop, the labor, and the management,â Ms. Li interjected quickly, before Gu Qingli could reply.
Gu Qingpingâs face darkened. He shot a cold glare at this shallow woman.
I really regret marrying her. Does she think Sister, with such high-quality tea leaves, would have trouble selling them? Sheâs offering me a chance to profit, a clean twenty percent for hardly any work, and she thinks itâs too little? Does she think Sister incurs no costs growing and processing this tea? All I have to do is sell it, and itâs not like these tea leaves will be hard to move. This imbecile! If Sister decides against partnering because of this, you can cry your eyes out! Forget twenty percent; you wonât get a single strand of hair!
Frightened by his glare, Ms. Li shrank back slightly, her lips moving soundlessly for a few moments before she looked towards Gu Qingli, who had a faint smile playing on her lips.
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